You've got questions, we've got answers

What are the clothes in your shop made of?

We sell clothing made with a variety of fabrics. Organic cotton looks like conventional cotton but it hasn't been treated with pesticides. Hemp won't get you high, but it does make a sturdy fabric that wears well and holds color nicely. Linen is a plant fabric made from flax. It's cool and great for hot weather. Vicose, Lyocell, modal, and Tencel are all types of rayon, a fabric made from wood pulp, and can be blended with synthetics. Bamboo is similar to rayon and is made from bamboo plants that grow quickly. It's important to use bamboo from sources that are careful about the processing and that are environmentally conscientious. Synthetic fleece can be made from recycled plastic bottles!

Our jewelry is made from a variety of materials—reclaimed silver, brass, wood, semiprecious stones, glass, and even recycled rubber! We like to know where the materials are sourced and we support small designers as much as possible.

Nonleather shoes, wallets, and bags can be made from lots of materials. Some of our bags are made using materials like glazed fabric or upcycled automobile vinyl. Canvas, hemp, and rubber are popular materials for making sneakers, and don't look like leather. Eco-suede and vegan leather look like the real thing, but they don't contain the chemical concoction found in leather. We source from companies that avoid PVC, formaldehyde, and other toxins.

What groups do you donate to?

Every month we pick a new charity and we donate a portion of sales to them. We support the great work of organizations like Precious Life Animal Sanctuary, Food Empowerment Project, Pasado's Safe Haven, Hip Hop is Green, and Elephant Nature Park.

People often ask us to donate gift cards for their fundraisers. We're happy to consider requests. Email us at hello@drizzleandshine.com at least six weeks before your event and we will review requests based on fit, timing, and budget.

What's wrong with leather?

Leather is often a co-product of the meat industry, so for people who shun factory farms, leather is likely not something they'd want to support. Many times leather isn't a co-product, but the main product. Animals are raised exclusively for their skins—just like fur without the hair. Exotic animals are turned into leather goods, and they're terribly mistreated during their short lives.

Leather isn't green either. The reason leather doesn’t rot away like roadkill is because of chemicals. Leather is soaked in biocides and fungicides to prevent mold, and it’s treated with nasty concoctions like sodium sulfide to remove the hair. Even chemicals like arsenic and formaldehyde are used. In places where leather production is prevalent, such as India and China, water and air pollution is high. Workers (and nearby residents) also face high instances of cancer from all the chemicals.

Fortunately, there are lots of cruelty-free leather alternatives out there. Some are made from petrochemicals, but that's not worse than the environmental impact of leather. Some are made with good environmental practices in mind and use green (and even recycled) materials.

What about wool? It doesn't seem cruel.

Wild sheep grow only enough wool to keep warm (and they can shed it). Domesticated sheep have been bred for their wooly coats. If sheep are shorn when the weather is too hot, they die of heat exhaustion. If they’re shorn too early, they’ll die from exposure. About a million sheep a year die this way.

Sheep, like merinos, are bred to have lots of wrinkly skin (more area to grow wool on). As a result of their wrinkles, they suffer from skin infections. Sheep are also castrated, dehorned, have their tails docked, and undergo mulesing—all without anesthetic.

Sheep are shorn by laborers who are paid by volume, not the hour. And in their hurry to work quickly, sheep are often rough-handled and injured. And when sheep stop producing as much wool as ranchers need to keep profits up, the sheep are killed for their flesh. In theory, one can raise a few sheep and sheer them humanely. In reality, the scale of operations—farms with hundreds of thousands of sheep—means there isn’t time or resources to care for the sheep.

What about down and feathers?

Feathers in clothing or bedding are an animal product. Down and feathers from ducks, geese, and chickens are sometimes collected from slaughterhouses. Other times, they’re plucked from still-living birds! Plucking is extremely painful for birds, who often undergo the process many times.

Birds are raised in crowded conditions and when it’s their turn for plucking, they’re caught and held down. The forceful plucking leaves their exposed skin raw, bruised and bloody. Even ostriches suffer from plucking. Their feathers are used for decorations, feather dusters, and boas. And roosters are raised and killed for so-called fashionable hair accessories.

I'm a designer/artist/manufacturer. How do I get my products in your store?

We love new collaborations! If your products align with the mission of Drizzle & Shine, send us an email and we'll be in touch. we're always interested in local designers, small businesses, women-owned companies, and things that are fair-trade, organic, upcycled, and vegan. You don't have to fit all the criteria (that's a tall order). Vegan is our baseline, so no animal products please.

What is your online return policy?

Whether you shop in the store or online, you have 15 days to return or exchange your items. Just make sure they have the tags on and/or are in the original packaging and that they haven't been worn or used. You'll have to pay return shipping but if you're exchanging them for a different size/color/style, we'll send out the second shipment with no shipping charge.

Are you hiring?

We are always interested in talking to enthusiastic people who love vegan, sustainable fashion and have previous retail sales experience. Send your resume to us at hello@drizzleandshine.com and tell us why you’d be a great part of our team.